


Actions speak louder than words

by archgirl818



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Brain Damage, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, booker shows up but like eventually, nicky gets brain damage, the boys keep trying to have smexy times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28922178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archgirl818/pseuds/archgirl818
Summary: after merrick nicky wakes up and has trouble speaking. they learn that sometimes even immortal healing cant heal everything
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	1. day 1

The morning after the fight with Merrik Nicky woke up as he normally did, in the arms of his love, but something felt strange. He put it down to the emotions coursing through him at his brothers betrayal and the dread of having to help decide what they were going to do with booker. He could feel joe waking up behind him and turned to greet him, looking into his eyes, god he missed being wrapped in joes arms while they were on the table. Seeing his husband being tortured and unable to reach out and touch him was a torture of its own.

“good morning hayati”

Joe smiled down at him, it was a tired smile but it still made Nicky’s heart flutter even after all these years. 

“g-g”

That was weird, he tried to force it out but the words seemed stuck in his brain, his tongue felt heavy like molasses 

“g-g-gooood m-m-m-m-m-mor-mor-mm-ro-mornnning”

God what the hell was wrong, joes beautiful face furrowed in concern and he reached out stroking his sleep warm hand down Nicky’s face. Nicky leaned into the touch, as joe moved his hand around to the back of his head searching for evidence that he hadn’t completely healed. God Nicky wanted to wipe that worry off of his face. He leaned forward kissing him, joe deepened the kiss searching for the bullet wound with his tongue. Nicky reached for his knife as he had done so many times after a hard mission and pricked his finger, reassuring joe and himself that he was still healing, still immortal, that he wouldn’t leave him alone. Joe delicately pulled Nicky’s healed finger to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss, as if to say ‘you’re here, your whole.’

“n-n-n-ne-ne-ner-nerves” he managed to force out of his uncooperative mouth hoping it would reassure joe, and if he was being honest, he needed to reassure himself too. Joe didn’t look convinced, but if he could convince joe everything was okay, he could convince himself.

“we’ll go to Malta, afterwards, take some time and sooth our frayed nerves. Everything is better in Malta.”

Nicky hummed his agreement, he never needed words with his love anyway, they fit together and could read entire books from a single look. And he was grateful in this moment of how well they knew each other because the words just wouldn’t work.

Eventually they extricated themselves from the bed and went down to the pub to deal with their brothers’ actions.

Nicky stayed silent the whole time, allowing joe to speak for him not wanting to worry the team when they had so much else to be concerned about. and he did, well. Arguing both his side two hundred years no contact a hundred for both him and Nicky being tortured, and Nicky’s side, 72 years with regular check ins, and a yearly meet up, one year for every hour they had been imprisoned. Andy wanted 10 years.

“I’m mortal now, I don’t want him to be gone my whole life”

In the end they compromised with 100 years, since joe and Nicky had been the ones tortured their opinion held the most weight.   
Once it was done joe informed Andy they were going to Malta, they needed a break from everything to recoup. Andy buried them in her standard bear hugs before they left, making them promise to write. Nile laughed and made them promise to text or call, saying that just because Andy was a luddite doesn’t mean she was. 

Nicky smiled at them hoping it got across how much he would miss them, and of course they would stay on contact. Hopefully they just put off his silence to his quiet nature. After Malta everything would get back to normal.


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> comments feed the ghost that possesses me to write this :)

Nicky woke up in his and joes’ bed, relishing listening to the waves hit the beach, just laying there for a while. Joes arms wrapped around him and the smell of salt in the air, he felt like he was in heaven. After a while he got up carefully as to not wake joe. Not that that was particularly hard. His love could sleep through an elephant stampede if he felt safe enough. 

Nicky wandered to the kitchen and started collecting things to make breakfast. It was soothing just standing there, wearing his shirt and boxers, making breakfast for his heart, no danger around the corner waiting to catch them off guard.

As he flipped the first pancake, he remembered the stuttering from the other day but quickly dismissed it. They were in MALTA nothing could go wrong in Malta. It was their safe space that even the darkest parts of their life couldn't touch them. 

Smiling he piled the pancakes on a tray and carried them with two glasses of OJ into the bedroom setting them to the side before attempting to wake up joe. He crawled back into bed and kissed each of joes eyelids before moving on to his nose. Then his lips then his neck, Nicky saw joe smiling in his sleep and continued downward, pressing kisses onto his clavicles, mapping out the freckles on his shoulders. Each one receiving a kiss for the sake of being a part of joe. Before he could go down farther than joes chest, he felt a hand grabbing his head and pulling him up out of the blankets to bestow a kiss on his lips.

“God I love Malta, a perfect way to wake up my love.” 

Nicky smiled and opened his mouth to say ‘I made you breakfast Tesoro’ but all that came out was a weak excuse for half of a sound.

“I-i-“

He screwed up his face frustrated and tried again.

“i-i—I” 

He felt horror reaching down to his toes. This was Malta, nothing bad was allowed to happen here, and yet…. He tried again.

“i-I -i-i-i-I” 

Nothing would come out of his mouth. Joe looked fully awake now and drew Nicky into his arms.

“its all right ya amar, we will fix this. And if we can’t it’s okay, I love more than just your pretty words you know”

Joe teased his and leaned forward to kiss the tip of Nicky’s nose.

“you’ve never needed words to communicate your needs, wants, or desires before” joes grin had turned filthy and despite being on the receiving end of it for 1000 years Nicky couldn’t help the blush that went from his cheeks down further than his shirt would show.

Not feeling like trying the words again Nicky pointed at the tray on the side of the table so joe would loosen his arms. Randy Joe was always welcome, but he didn’t want breakfast to cool down.Besides, they were in Malta, they have all the time in the world to laze about and take care of each other in every way possible.

Nicky settled the tray onto his lap, handing a fork to joe. He was in a playful mood this morning, fighting Nicky’s fork for pieces of fruit and pancake in a mockery of a sword fight, only to bring his fork up to Nicky’s lips. So, he returned in kind unwilling to allow joe to feed it all to him. he could see the juices of the fruit running down joe’s face into his beard, couldn’t help leaning close to lick it off of his face. Humming in contentment at the taste of pineapple mixed with what was uniquely joe. A low hum escaped his lips, darkening joes’ eyes with lust. Yes, it was going to be a good morning indeed. 

Later Nicky drew joe into the shower pretending that he didn’t notice the extra care joe lavished onto his head as if to reassure himself that there was still no hole back there. Even though they healed the scars of what happened would stay with them. Constant reminders of what had happened. Nicky could still vividly remember the worst of joe’s injuries dating back a thousand years, still sometimes needing to reassure himself that joe was whole.


End file.
